For almost every student loan question, the person to call is your loan servicer. If your loans are federal, log into StudentAid.gov and look at the “My Loan Servicers” section of your dashboard to find the company’s name and phone number. If your loans are private, pull a free credit report or check your most recent billing statement to see who currently holds the account. Knowing exactly who to contact about your student loans keeps you from bouncing between wrong numbers and missing deadlines that can turn into real financial damage.
Finding Your Federal Loan Servicer
Every federal student loan is assigned to a servicing company that handles billing, payment processing, and repayment plan enrollment on behalf of the Department of Education. Log into StudentAid.gov with your FSA ID and scroll to “My Loan Servicers.”1Federal Student Aid. Access to Federal Student Aid (FSA) Systems That page lists every federal loan you’ve taken out, along with its current balance, servicer name, and contact information. The data comes from the National Student Loan Data System, which tracks every federal loan from disbursement through closure.2Financial Aid Delivery. National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
As of late 2025, the active federal loan servicers are:
- Aidvantage (operated by Maximus Education LLC)
- Edfinancial Services
- MOHELA (Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority)
- Nelnet
- ECSI (Educational Computer Systems, Inc.)
- Oklahoma Student Loan Authority
- Default Resolution Group, for loans already in default
The Department of Education reassigns contracts periodically, so the list can shift.3Department of Education. Title IV Additional Servicers and Not For Profit Servicers If you can’t log in or don’t have an FSA ID, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. Representatives there can help you identify your servicer and answer general questions about federal aid programs.4Help Center. Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)
Finding Your Private Loan Holder
Private student loans don’t appear on your StudentAid.gov dashboard because they aren’t backed by the federal government. To track them down, pull your credit report from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. You’re entitled to a free report from each bureau annually. The report shows the lender or current holder, your account number, and the outstanding balance. Private loans change hands more often than borrowers realize, so the company billing you today may not be the one that originally issued the loan. Your most recent billing statement will confirm the current holder.
Private lenders often route student loan calls through a different department from their general consumer banking line. Look for the number specific to student lending on the back of your statement or in the contact section of the lender’s website. Because private loans are governed by individual contracts rather than a single federal framework, your account number is the key piece of information for any conversation.
The Best Way to Reach a Federal Servicer
Once you know your servicer, the most efficient way to reach them is usually the secure messaging portal on their website. Messages sent through the portal create a documented record of every request and response, which matters if a dispute comes up later. You can also upload documents directly, which helps when you’re certifying income for an income-driven repayment plan or requesting a deferment.
If you need to call, have your account number and Social Security number ready. Most servicers offer toll-free lines during extended business hours. Edfinancial, for example, has representatives available Monday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.5Edfinancial Services. Contact Other servicers keep similar schedules. If you send a physical letter, confirm you’re using the correspondence address and not the payment processing address, because most servicers keep those separate.
Some tasks skip the servicer entirely. Income-driven repayment applications go through StudentAid.gov/idr, where you can consent to have your tax information pulled directly from the IRS.6Federal Student Aid. Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan Request Federal consolidation loan applications also start on StudentAid.gov, and you pick a servicer to handle the consolidated loan going forward.7FSA Partners. Loan Consolidation for Applicants
What to Do When Your Federal Servicer Changes
The Department of Education periodically reassigns loan portfolios between servicers, and this catches a lot of borrowers off guard. If your loans are transferred, you’ll receive notice from both the old servicer and the new one. The notice from the new servicer will include their toll-free phone number and website.8Federal Student Aid. Servicing Federally-Owned Loans – Loan Transfer Situations
Any deferment, forbearance, or repayment plan you’re on carries over automatically. You don’t need to reapply. What you do need to do is set up a new online account, re-enroll in autopay, and re-elect electronic correspondence with the new servicer.8Federal Student Aid. Servicing Federally-Owned Loans – Loan Transfer Situations If you had an automatic debit set up with the old servicer and don’t re-establish it, you could miss a payment without realizing it. That’s where most accidental delinquencies during transfers happen. Watch your email and act on the new servicer’s instructions as soon as they arrive.
Who to Contact About Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you’re pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, your loans need to be with the servicer designated for the PSLF program. MOHELA currently services PSLF accounts, though the forgiveness program itself is managed by the Department of Education, not MOHELA. That distinction matters when you hit a wall: MOHELA handles your billing and payment tracking, but decisions about whether your employer qualifies or whether you’ve made enough payments come from the Department. For general PSLF questions or to check your progress, go to StudentAid.gov/PSLF. For a live person, call Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243.9MOHELA – Federal Student Aid. PSLF Information
Contacts for Military Borrowers
Active-duty service members can have their student loan interest rates capped at 6% under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. For federal student loans, the reduction is automatic. Your federal servicer checks your eligibility and applies the cap without any action from you. For private student loans, the cap is not automatic. You have to contact your private lender and provide a copy of your military orders showing the date you entered active duty.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Tackling Student Loan Debt for Servicemembers Don’t wait. Private lenders won’t apply the rate reduction retroactively unless you ask, and every month you delay is money you don’t get back.
Where to Escalate a Complaint
The FSA Ombudsman Group
If you’ve tried working with your federal servicer and gotten nowhere, the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group acts as a neutral third party to help resolve the dispute. Federal law requires the Department of Education to maintain this office specifically for borrower assistance.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 20 USC 1018 – Performance-Based Organization for Delivery of Federal Student Financial Assistance The Ombudsman doesn’t take sides or issue binding decisions. The office reviews your case, works with your servicer, and helps find a resolution based on federal regulations.12FSA Partner Connect. Office of the Ombudsman FSA
Before contacting the Ombudsman, document your previous attempts to fix the problem through your servicer’s normal channels. The Ombudsman is a last resort, not a first call. To start a case, file an online request at StudentAid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare, or call 1-800-433-3243. You can also write to: FSA Ombudsman Group, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 1854, Monticello, KY 42633.12FSA Partner Connect. Office of the Ombudsman FSA
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
For problems with private student loans, or if you believe a federal servicer has violated consumer protection rules, the CFPB accepts complaints. It has oversight over both private lenders and the companies that service federal loans, which makes it particularly useful when a servicer’s behavior crosses into unfair or deceptive territory. File a complaint online at consumerfinance.gov or call (855) 411-2372.13Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Where Can I File a Financial Aid or Student Loan Complaint Companies are generally expected to respond to CFPB complaints within 15 days, which can move things faster than repeated calls to a customer service line.
Who to Call If Your Loans Are in Default
Defaulting on a federal student loan triggers serious consequences. The entire remaining balance becomes due immediately, the government can garnish your wages and seize your tax refund, and the default appears on your credit report.14Federal Student Aid. Collections on Defaulted Loans If you’re already in default, the office to contact is usually the Default Resolution Group, part of the Department of Education. Reach DRG at 1-800-621-3115 or through the myeddebt.ed.gov portal. If you have an older Federal Family Education Loan, a guaranty agency may hold your defaulted account instead. Check your StudentAid.gov dashboard to confirm.15Federal Student Aid. Student Loan Rehabilitation for Borrowers in Default – FAQs
The primary path out of default is loan rehabilitation, which you set up by contacting your loan holder and signing a rehabilitation agreement. You can only rehabilitate a given loan once, so treat it as a one-shot opportunity.15Federal Student Aid. Student Loan Rehabilitation for Borrowers in Default – FAQs
Who Not to Contact: Avoiding Scams
Every time student loan forgiveness makes headlines, scammers ramp up operations targeting confused borrowers. There is nothing a debt relief company can do for you that you can’t do yourself for free through StudentAid.gov or your servicer. Any company that charges an upfront fee to help with your student loans is violating the law.16FTC. Paying for School and Avoiding Scams
Common red flags: companies that promise quick forgiveness before learning anything about your situation, use official-looking seals or logos to appear government-affiliated, pressure you to “act now” before you lose eligibility, or ask for your FSA ID login credentials. Never share your FSA ID with anyone. That credential is your legal signature for federal aid purposes, and handing it over gives a stranger full access to your loan accounts.16FTC. Paying for School and Avoiding Scams
If you encounter a suspected scam, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC shares reports with over 2,800 law enforcement agencies and uses them to build investigations.17Federal Trade Commission. ReportFraud.ftc.gov